Side bearing



2 Sheeizs-Sheet 1 R. B. COTTRELL SIDE BEARING Filed Oct. 17, 1959 6 2a a? L HHI IHH I i LI INVENTOR. iobemfi coma;

ATTORNEY.

. l ll l Illl lll lk Nov. -1 0, 1942;

R. B. COTTRELL SIDE BEARING Filed Oct. 17. 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ORNEY.

Patented Nov. 10, 1942 STATES PATENT OFFICE SIDE BEARING Robert B. C'ottrell, Chicago, 111., assignor to American Steel Foundries, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of New Jersey Application October 17, 1939, Serial No. 299,862

Claims.

in use and likewise suitable for new equipment. 1

My novel structure incorporates a feature of resilience which is particularly helpful in modcm, high speed trains.

My invention comprehends a structure which is adaptable to a variety of conditions on railway cars, and is of such relatively simple form as to facilitate its use under a variety of conditions including a large proportion of the arrangements already in use on a railway car.

A specific object of my invention is to design a railway side bearing having resilience as Well as snubbing or absorbing capacity.

A different object of my invention is a design of side bearing which is readily modified to meet a variety of conditions which require varying absorbing capacity,

Yet another object of my invention isa side bearing structure which will readily meet all the requirements of manufacture and service conditions, and at the same time, afford maximum length of life with minimum supervision or repair.

Figure 1 is a top plan View of a side bearing assembly incorporating my invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is an end View, partly in section, the section being taken in the transverse vertical plane substantially as indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of a railway car truck member with my novel form of side bearing in position thereon;

Figure 5 is a view in side elevation thereof, partly in section, the section being taken substantially in the vertical plane indicated by the line 5-5 of Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is an end elevation of the structure shown in Figures 4 and 5.

Figure 7 is a top plan view of my novel form of side bearing outer casing;

Figure 8 is a side elevation thereof, and Figure 9 is an end View, half in section, the section being taken substantially in the transverse vertical plane as indicated by the line 9-9 of Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a top plan viewof my'novel form of inner casing;

Figure 11 is a side elevation thereof; and. Figure 12 is an end.view,-part1y in section, the section being taken in the plane indicated by-the line |2-l2 of Figure 10. s

Figure 13 is a side elevation of my novel form of resilient member;

Figure 14 is a plan view thereof; and

Figure 15 is an end view.

Describing my novel structure in greater detail, itmay be noted that it comprisesan outer casing 2, generally rectangular in form, having the-base 4, the side walls 6, 6 and end Walls 8', 8 integrally formed therewith, thus providing a housing of substantially box-like form with an open top. On the inner face of the side walls 6; 6 are afforded fricton surfaces as at I0, lO-for engagement with the outer friction'surfaces l2, l2 of-the-side walls l4, 14 of the inner casing I6, said inner casing being formed as a channel-like structure telescoped Within the outer casing 2 with the top wall I8 perforated at 20, 20 (Figure 10) for convenience in securing the wear plate 22 as by means of rivets 24, 24.

Onthe side Walls at spaced points may be riveted the flat, circular, disk-like lugs 26, 26, said lugs serving as retaining means to interlock the inner casing l6 within the outer casing 2 when the parts are assembled as best seen in the assembly views of Figures 2 and 3. Each side, wall 6 of theouter casing 2 has a plurality of vertical slots 28, 28 (Figure 8) extending upwardly from the bottom thereof and accommodating the before mentioned lugs 26, 26; The upper edge of each slot 28 is arcuate as indicated at 36being formed on a radius somewhat greater than that 'of each lug 26, thus forming a suitable seat for said lug when the deviceis in normal expanded position and free of loading as best seen at 32 in the sectional View of Figure 3.

Within the housing thus formed by telescoping the inner casing I6 withinlthe outer casing 2.may

be seated my novel resilient member 34 of a form and detail more particularly. described hereafter, said resilient member being compressed within said housing with large bearing areas against the side walls I4, M of the inner casing as best seen at 36 (Figure 3) also large bearing areas at the-top and bottom thereof as at 38 against the top wall I8- of the inner casing and as at 40 against the bottom wall of the outer casing. The said resilient member 34 is positioned with respect to said top and bottom walls by means of lugs 42, 42 on said vbottom wall and by, means of the heads of the rivets 24 with respect to said top wall.

In assembly, the resilient member 34 is placed between the side walls 14, I4 of the inner .casing 16 and located'centrally by the recesses .48, 48 being positionedon the lugs 24. The side walls of the inner casing i 6 are then compressed until the outer surfaces of the retaining lugs 26, 26 will pass between the inner surfaces ID, ID of the side walls 6, 6 of the outer casing 2. Pressure is then applied to the plate 22 to close the device, and when the retaining lugs 26, 26 clear the openings 28 they spring outward into these openings thereby locking the two casings together under compression. The bottom surface of the resilient member 34 seats on the bottom 4 of the outer casing 2 and is located by means 48, 48 engagin lugs 42, 42 on the bottom of the outer casing. Further closing of the device causes more vertical compression of the resilient member 34 and results in increased pressure between the side walls l4, l4 of the inner casing and the side walls 6, 6 of the outer casing. After the device is assembled and in its normal expanded position as shown in Figures 1 to 3, the resilient member 34 is considerably bulged at the ends as indicated at 35, 35 and at the lateral edges thereof as indicated at 31, 37, but suitable clearance is still afforded at the ends and sides thereof in order to permit further compression under load.

The particular form of the resilient member 64 is important. It may be noted that the member 34 (Figure 13) is formed with relatively large,

flat surfaces 44, 44 at the top and bottom thereof andlikewise flat surfaces 46, 46 at the sides thereof. Each of these surfaces affords a relatively large bearing area for abutment of said resilient member against the Walls of the enclosing housing. The top and bottom surfaces of the resilient member are afforded positioning means 48, 48 in the form of small recesses for engagement with the before mentioned lugs 42 and the heads of the rivets 24. It will be further observed that the side walls of the resilient member are relieved longitudinally along the top and bot- ,tom edges as indicated at 50, 50 above and below the before mentioned bearing areas 46, 46. Furthermore, particular attention is called to the fact that all surfaces of this resilient member merge with adjacent surfaces along smooth radii as seen at 52, 52 along the outer corners thereof -and-at 54, 54 along the edges of the bearing areas 46, 46. These radii are particularly important inasmuch as their function greatly increases the length of life of the resilient member 34, In other words, such a resilient member when formed with sharp corners or edges tends to split and disintegrate at such sharp edges or corners when it is .compressed, and such action causes rapid deterioration of the member and lessens its useful life.

In Figures 4 to 6 inclusive, I have shown my novel form of resilient side bearing as applied to a car truck wherein the tarnsverse load carrying member or bolster 54 may be formed in the usual manner with a side bearing surface 56 upon which may be secured as at 58, 58 the side bearing pocket generally indicated at 66, said pocket being in the form of an integral casting presenting on its upper surface an open box-like structure reinforced at the sides thereof by the ribs 62, 62. The bottom of said casting may be formed with ribs 64, 64 affording a convenient machining surface along their aligned edges. Openings at the end of the box-like structure .66 indicated at 66, 66 permit the insertion of adjusting shims without removing the resilient unit and also allow the escape of water or other extraneous matters which otherwise might accumulate therein. Within the box-like structure .66 may be positioned my novel side bearing generally indicated at 2, 2, the top wear plate of which may afford a seat as at 68 against the body side bearing 10 which may be supported from any convenient member (if the car body.

If my novel side bearing is to be applied to old equipment, it may be seated into any side bearing pocket larger than that required by its normal size by application to the side bearing unit of spacers or brackets welded thereto or otherwise conveniently secured. The compact form of my device is such that I am able to develop the required amount of frictional absorption in a structure small enough to be inserted in most side bearing pockets now in use on standard equip- .ment.

It will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that I may modify the amount of friction absorbing capacity developed in my novel device as requirements dictate within a large range. In other words, I may vary the character of the resilient member 34 to offer a greater or less resistance to its compression between the inner and outer casings and thus develop a greater or less degree of friction as required between the walls thereof.

It is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited by the exact embodiment of the device shown which is merely by way of illustration and not limitation as various and other forms of the device will of course be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In a, friction absorbing side bearing stru ture, a box-like outer casing, a channel-like inner casing telescoped therewithin in frictional engagement therewith, a resilient member within said casings operable tov urge walls thereof into tight engagement, and interlocking means on said casings to limit their relative movement, said resilient member having relatively large, fiat surfaces in abutment with the walls of said inner casing and a wall of said outer casing, and relieved areas along top and bottom edges of said member merging with said flat surfaces along smooth radii.

2. In a side bearing device for a railway car, an outer casing having parallel friction Walls, a channel-like .inner casing having friction surfaces engaging said walls, a resilient member housed Within said casings and abutting said inner and outer casings, said resilient member having relatively large, fiat surfaces in abutment with the walls of said inner casing and having relieved areas merging with said fiat surfaces along smooth radii.

3. In a friction absorbing side bearing device, a box-like outer casing, a channel-like inner casing telescoped therewithin and having frictional engagement therewith, a resilient member housed within said casings and having abutment with the walls on said inner casing and a bottom wall on said outer casing, positioning means on said member engaging means on said casings, and interlocking means on said casings operative to retain' said device in assembled relationship.

4. In a friction absorbing side bearing device, a box-like outer casing and a channel-like inner casing telescoped therewithin, each of said caspressed between said casings and having abutinner casing telescoped therewithin in frictional engagement therewith, a resilient member comment against casings and against the respective casings and effective to urge said 1 engagement with the other eral walls into tight the lateral walls of one of said top and bottom walls f said casings, and interlocking means on said casings to limit their relative movement in one direction.

ROBERT B. COTTREIL. 

